0:00:04 > 0:00:06Hello. I'm Michael Buerk.
0:00:06 > 0:00:10Welcome to a brand-new series of Royal Recipes.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14This time we're at Westonbirt House, formerly a grand country house,
0:00:14 > 0:00:15now a boarding school,
0:00:15 > 0:00:20which has played host to royal visitors for over 100 years.
0:00:20 > 0:00:25In this series, we're delving even further back in time to reveal over
0:00:25 > 0:00:28600 years of royal food heritage.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32You play Anne Boleyn. And I will play Henry VIII.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35And we've been busy unlocking the secrets of Britain's great food
0:00:35 > 0:00:40archives, discovering rare and unseen recipes that have been royal
0:00:40 > 0:00:42favourites through the ages.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46From the earliest royal cookbook in 1390...
0:00:46 > 0:00:50It is so precious, so special, that I'm not allowed to touch it.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53..to Tudor treats from the court of Henry VIII...
0:00:53 > 0:00:56I can't wait for this. One, two, three...
0:00:58 > 0:01:03..we'll be exploring the great culinary traditions enjoyed by the royal family,
0:01:03 > 0:01:05from the grand to the ground-breaking
0:01:05 > 0:01:08as well as the surprisingly simple...
0:01:08 > 0:01:10I did think that was going to be a disaster.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17..as we hear from a host of royal chefs...
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Prince Philip would walk past or pop his head in and say,
0:01:20 > 0:01:22"What's for dinner? What are we having?"
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Oh, yeah. It's not just a normal kitchen.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28..and meet the people who provide for the royal table.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31If it's OK for the Queen, it's OK for everyone.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Welcome to Royal Recipes.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45We're getting our teeth into pies in today's programme
0:01:45 > 0:01:49and exploring the royal passion for pudding.
0:01:51 > 0:01:52Coming up...
0:01:55 > 0:01:59..Anna Haugh makes a firm favourite of a formidable queen...
0:01:59 > 0:02:03I'm just checking here with Queen Victoria's recipe to make sure
0:02:03 > 0:02:04you're on track here, Anna!
0:02:04 > 0:02:06Thank you, Michael!
0:02:06 > 0:02:12..chef Cyrus Todiwala OBE recreates a pudding enjoyed by Her Majesty,
0:02:12 > 0:02:15his twist on a British favourite...
0:02:15 > 0:02:17We did take the crust out, we didn't keep the crust.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22Come on. She's the Queen! You don't want to give her crusts, do you?
0:02:22 > 0:02:26..Dr Polly Russell heads to Gloucester to trace the history
0:02:26 > 0:02:29of a dish that was once a royal prerogative.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33The sort of firm, bloody, meat-like flesh would have been very appealing.
0:02:33 > 0:02:39Oh, I think it would have been, but I'm a vegetarian, so...
0:02:39 > 0:02:43..it certainly wouldn't have been for me!
0:02:43 > 0:02:46But where better to start tucking into pies and puddings than with an
0:02:46 > 0:02:50elegant pastry dish served up for some royal nuptials?
0:02:55 > 0:02:59Well, I'm here in the Royal Recipes kitchen with executive chef Anna Haugh.
0:02:59 > 0:03:00What's cooking?
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Well, I'm going to make smoked haddock coulibiac.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06- Coulibiac?- Yes.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10- And what's that?- Well, essentially, it's a posh fish pie.- Ah.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14We're going to poach some haddock and then wrap it in some puff pastry,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17bake it, and serve it with a lovely sauce made out of the liquid that we
0:03:17 > 0:03:22- poach the haddock in.- It was served at the wedding of Prince Edward and
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Sophie Rhys-Jones.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26And I did the BBC coverage of it with Sue Barker.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28And did you get to eat it?
0:03:28 > 0:03:31I didn't, actually, no, so this is going to be a wonderful opportunity.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33What is it, 18 years later?
0:03:33 > 0:03:37I'm actually going to get to eat the coulibiac.
0:03:39 > 0:03:40First of all I'm going to poach the haddock.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42Once you've put your smoked haddock in,
0:03:42 > 0:03:46you're going to add in some peppercorns, parsley stalks here
0:03:46 > 0:03:49and bay leaves. Just make sure you give your bay leaves a little fold
0:03:49 > 0:03:52if they're fresh. This kind of releases the smell.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54Mmm! Oh, that's really nice.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56- It is really nice, I like a bit of bay leaf.- I like that.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01- Now, this will take about maybe eight to ten minutes to poach. - Mm-hm.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03And it's important that your liquid is just simmering,
0:04:03 > 0:04:04not boiling too heavily.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06And then afterwards you must let it cool,
0:04:06 > 0:04:10because if you have a hot mixture going into cold puff pastry,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13it'll just melt the butter in the puff pastry and it'll all be an oily mess.
0:04:13 > 0:04:18I've also cooked here some mushrooms, some shallots in garlic and butter,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20and some spinach, which I've squeezed out gently.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22- You haven't actually gone...- No!
0:04:22 > 0:04:25- ..with the spinach.- Not squeezed the life out of it.- No.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29But just removed a bit of the juice so that it stays nice and moist,
0:04:29 > 0:04:30but not too dry, inside the case.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34If you wouldn't mind flaking a bit of the smoked haddock...
0:04:34 > 0:04:35- Yep.- ..into the rice.
0:04:37 > 0:04:38I remember the wedding. I mean,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41it was thought to be really quite a simple affair for a royal wedding.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43- Yes.- By comparison.
0:04:43 > 0:04:44Only 500 guests,
0:04:44 > 0:04:48only 250 million people watching on TV and all that kind of stuff.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52And the meal, I remember, was this smoked haddock coulibiac.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54- Yeah.- Boeuf stroganoff as the main thing.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56And then fresh raspberries. That was it.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59- Just the three courses. - Still, loads and loads of flavour.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01- But, yes.- Have I done this OK?
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Yeah, perfect. We're going to add in now some parsley with the mushrooms.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06- The mushrooms.- And the onions.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09- The half-squeezed spinach. - Half-squeezed spinach.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11Going to give it a little pinch of salt as well.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13And this is a Russian dish, is it?
0:05:13 > 0:05:16I think it's more to do with the pastry cases.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19- It's kind of a Russian... - It's the pie bit.- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25- OK, so I have some puff pastry down here...- Right.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27..that I'm going to build the pie with.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30I actually remember being in St George's Chapel the day before
0:05:30 > 0:05:33the wedding, and Sophie Rhys-Jones, as she then was,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36came in for the rehearsal, and it was obviously a very emotional time.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39- Mm.- I suppose it is for all brides the day before, isn't it?
0:05:39 > 0:05:42- And grooms, I'd imagine, Michael. - Well, yes, yes.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Grooms are probably still on their stag night.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49Just going to egg-wash the sides here and take another sheet of puff pastry.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52- Right.- Place it on top.
0:05:52 > 0:05:53Yeah.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57- And just press that down really, really well.- Mm-hm.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00So at a wedding there would be lots of these, would there?
0:06:00 > 0:06:03This would be something spectacular to see in the back kitchens.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06- Really?- Can you imagine for 250 people, just trays...?
0:06:06 > 0:06:09- 500, 500!- 500, 500 people!
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Trays and trays of these coulibiacs.
0:06:12 > 0:06:13I'd say it would be amazing.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17- So what's next?- Now, I'm going to use a lattice roller to...
0:06:17 > 0:06:19- Lattice.- ..finish the pastry, yeah.
0:06:19 > 0:06:20So you're cutting grooves in it?
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Yeah, and you need to use quite a bit of pressure all the way along.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Oh, you did that beautifully.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29- And then you just separate it nice...- Oh, yeah. This is just decoration?
0:06:29 > 0:06:32This is just decoration, and it adds a little bit of extra crunch.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35- Right.- Just going to egg-wash the top of the pie,
0:06:35 > 0:06:37it's going to give it a lovely gloss, but it'll also help...
0:06:37 > 0:06:39- So it comes out shiny?- Yes.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42And it'll also help the lattice stick to it.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45And then you're going to plonk it on the top?
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Then I'm just going to place it elegantly, with a bit of finesse,
0:06:48 > 0:06:51- on the top. - You can imagine them all, can't you?
0:06:51 > 0:06:55All those, you know, the crowned heads of Europe and all that sort of thing.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Because there are a lot of, you know, very important people at this wedding.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01- Absolutely.- You could imagine them sort of tucking in.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03- Yeah.- And breaking it open and...
0:07:03 > 0:07:05- Oh, yes.- Oh, I'd say it was fantastic.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08I mean, it makes you hungry, these royal weddings.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11- Well...- I had... Sue Barker and I had sandwiches, I remember.- Oh!
0:07:11 > 0:07:14There might have been a bag of crisps, as well.
0:07:14 > 0:07:15But... I can't remember now.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Yeah. No crisps for you today.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19- You can, you can have your... - I can actually have it.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21- ..coulibiac today.- The coulibiac.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25I'm just going to trim this, just so it's nice and neat.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29I couldn't have you eating anything that isn't perfect, Michael.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Artistically as well as culinarily.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33SHE CHUCKLES
0:07:33 > 0:07:35If that's a word. Somewhere in there, there's a word.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38So... This is off to the oven, eh?
0:07:38 > 0:07:41- Yeah.- OK, now, at what heat and for how long?
0:07:41 > 0:07:43200 degrees for about 25 minutes.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46200? It's normally 180 for pastry, isn't it?
0:07:46 > 0:07:48- You know, I know about these things. - You do, now, yeah.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52And you should also find one in there.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Look at this, Anna.
0:07:59 > 0:08:00That looks gorgeous.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03- Gorgeous.- Look.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06And that latticing has made it look really, really perfect.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08And quite simple to do.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11OK, so here we actually have the poaching liquid,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14and I'm going to add some white wine.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17- Oh, gosh.- And some double cream.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20It's quite a rich dish, then, in the end, with that on top.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Well, I think it needs it, because when you think,
0:08:22 > 0:08:25inside the pie there's vegetables, there's rice,
0:08:25 > 0:08:27there is some smoked fish.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30So I think the idea of a lovely kind of rich cream sauce will go very
0:08:30 > 0:08:34- well with this.- Yeah.- So we just want to bring this up to the boil.
0:08:35 > 0:08:41- So I'm going to cut our beautiful pie.- Ah!
0:08:41 > 0:08:43This would have been the moment...
0:08:43 > 0:08:46What would it have been? Early afternoon, I suppose.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49500 guests sitting there, and out the back... I mean,
0:08:49 > 0:08:51how many of these would there have been?
0:08:51 > 0:08:55- Michael was tucking into an egg sandwich with a bag of salt and vinegar crisps.- Exactly!
0:08:55 > 0:08:57Oh, isn't that terrific?
0:08:57 > 0:09:01I think so. A lovely crunch to the pie, which is absolutely what you want.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05I'm just going to add some parsley to the sauce now.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08- Give it a little stir. - I can imagine, can't I,
0:09:08 > 0:09:13all those 500 guests in there, knives and forks at the ready,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16waiting for the coulibiac to arrive?
0:09:16 > 0:09:20- That's it.- They probably already had their champagne, don't you think?
0:09:20 > 0:09:22- I should hope so. - Yeah, I would hope so, too.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24I didn't get any champagne either, you know.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27- That's outrageous, Michael. - Orange juice, I think.- OK.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29- There we go.- There we have our...
0:09:29 > 0:09:31- Look at that!- Yeah, it looks great.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37We use a little bit of watercress in here, as well.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41Now, for the freshness, for the look, for the decoration?
0:09:41 > 0:09:44For the lovely peppery flavour we get of watercress,
0:09:44 > 0:09:47but also for the crunch.
0:09:47 > 0:09:48- It's great.- And there you have it.
0:09:48 > 0:09:53Smoked haddock coulibiac with haddock and white wine sauce.
0:09:53 > 0:09:54Finally...
0:09:54 > 0:09:57..18 years afterwards...
0:09:57 > 0:10:03..I get to try the royal wedding starter.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07Mmm!
0:10:07 > 0:10:09- You get a real taste of the smoked fish.- Mm.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12The spinach, the mushrooms, the rice.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15- But it's the pastry that makes it. - Mm.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18It's kind of crispy, but it's kind of melting at the same time.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Mmm. The wait was worth it.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23THEY CHUCKLE
0:10:23 > 0:10:25A fine fish pie.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29The perfect crowd-pleasing platter for a more modest royal wedding.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37Britain's royal heritage means we're awash with traditions,
0:10:37 > 0:10:41some arcane, some downright peculiar,
0:10:41 > 0:10:43and many involving food.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46One of these royal food traditions originated in Gloucester,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50as far back as the Middle Ages, and continues to this day.
0:10:51 > 0:10:56It features a very unusual ingredient that predates the dinosaurs.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00Polly Russell has been finding out about this bloodsucking parasite.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06It doesn't look very appetising, does it?
0:11:06 > 0:11:10But, amazingly, this was once a real delicacy,
0:11:10 > 0:11:12and was a favourite of kings.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16It's called a lamprey, an ancient eel-like creature,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19which used to be plentiful in British rivers, like the Severn here
0:11:19 > 0:11:21in Gloucestershire.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24About 200 years ago, because of declining water quality,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27they were almost totally wiped out,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29along with them, a tradition
0:11:29 > 0:11:33which had been beloved by generations of royals.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40The city of Gloucester has a long history of marking royal occasions
0:11:40 > 0:11:42with a lamprey pie.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45It dates back to the 12th century when Henry I would come to
0:11:45 > 0:11:47the city to meet with his council.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51The lamprey was a local speciality,
0:11:51 > 0:11:54and it's likely that the king was presented with a pie as a gift from
0:11:54 > 0:11:56the great and the good of the city.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Dame Janet Trotter, Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire,
0:12:02 > 0:12:04knows more about this unusual custom.
0:12:06 > 0:12:11Gloucester's this amazing sort of city, really steeped in history.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Can you tell me a bit about the lamprey pie?
0:12:14 > 0:12:18And where that comes from, what you know about it?
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Well, the lamprey pie, old tradition,
0:12:21 > 0:12:25and I know that King John loved lampreys.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29- Henry I died of a surfeit... - Yeah.- ..of lampreys.
0:12:29 > 0:12:30So lamprey poisoning.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32So they were really loved.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36And I think it was the Earl of Chester who said at one
0:12:36 > 0:12:40point that he would exchange a horse for a lamprey.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42I suppose in the sort of medieval period,
0:12:42 > 0:12:46where people were having to have flesh days and fish days,
0:12:46 > 0:12:49not able to eat meat for so many days in the year because of the
0:12:49 > 0:12:52religious calendar, the sort of firm,
0:12:52 > 0:12:56bloody meat-like flesh of a lamprey would have been very appealing.
0:12:56 > 0:13:01Oh, I think it would have been, but I'm a vegetarian, so...
0:13:01 > 0:13:03..it certainly wouldn't have been for me!
0:13:07 > 0:13:11The tradition continued until lamprey numbers dwindled during the
0:13:11 > 0:13:12Industrial Revolution.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19It was revived in the 1950s when the Sheriff of Gloucester
0:13:19 > 0:13:23decided to send a lamprey pie to the newly crowned Elizabeth II.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30So 1953 and the coronation, and that tradition gets resurrected.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33Have those pies been made since for the royal family?
0:13:33 > 0:13:34Oh, yes, memorable pies.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38The Queen's Jubilee, we had a visit from the Earl and Countess of Wessex
0:13:38 > 0:13:40for a service.
0:13:40 > 0:13:41And we came out,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44and I'd said that the presentation could take place there.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47And I was expecting a small pie.
0:13:47 > 0:13:48And it was huge.
0:13:48 > 0:13:54This really monster pie that was in the shape of Gloucester Cathedral.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57- Really?- In the shape of Gloucester Cathedral.- Ornate and beautiful?
0:13:57 > 0:13:59Oh, they had been a week doing it.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01And the pastry was just...
0:14:01 > 0:14:02I could have eaten the pastry.
0:14:02 > 0:14:07They presented it to the Earl and the Countess,
0:14:07 > 0:14:12who then had to think how were they going to get it back to Buckingham Palace.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Much to the police's horror,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17they decided to put it in their rather small helicopter.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20They insisted that it went in the back, and off it went.
0:14:20 > 0:14:25So we were rather pleased to see it intact going into the skies
0:14:25 > 0:14:28- when it went.- Pie in the sky!
0:14:29 > 0:14:33The citizens of Gloucester continue to celebrate royalty with this
0:14:33 > 0:14:35rather extraordinary dish.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39Cheryl Spence helped make one for the Queen's Golden Jubilee.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44And how did you come to make a lamprey pie for the royals?
0:14:44 > 0:14:49Oh, gosh. At the time I was cheffing for our pub in Gloucester,
0:14:49 > 0:14:50and Martin Kirby,
0:14:50 > 0:14:55a local reporter from The Citizen in Gloucester came along and said,
0:14:55 > 0:14:57"I want to see your oven."
0:14:57 > 0:14:59And I looked a bit surprised and he said,
0:14:59 > 0:15:01"I want to see if it's tall enough
0:15:01 > 0:15:03"to make a lamprey pie for the Queen."
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Our oven was going to be tall enough.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09So, he sort of said, "Would you like to make the lamprey pie?"
0:15:09 > 0:15:12And I said, "Yes, that would be lovely, thank you!"
0:15:12 > 0:15:14What was the recipe that you used?
0:15:14 > 0:15:17- Well, of course, lampreys, two of them.- Yeah.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21- They were quite long. Fish stock. - Yeah.- Some lemon juice.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23And the mushroom ketchup.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25And the lampreys, where did you get those from?
0:15:25 > 0:15:26They had to come from Canada,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29where they're quite plentiful and considered a pest.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33How fantastic to be part of this sort of tradition that's gone back
0:15:33 > 0:15:37- to the Middle Ages.- Gloucester is full of history, as you know,
0:15:37 > 0:15:41so to be part of that history has been absolutely amazing.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53We don't know if the Queen likes lamprey pie,
0:15:53 > 0:15:57and for the time being the British lamprey is so rare, it's off the menu.
0:15:57 > 0:16:02But the good news is this weird- looking critter, after 200 years,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05is making a comeback into British rivers.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20From an exceptional creation to mark royal occasions
0:16:20 > 0:16:22to a more appetising variety,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25formerly enjoyed by a most particular monarch.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34This is Queen Victoria's pigeon pie, which is only meat,
0:16:34 > 0:16:38pigeon breast and also rump steak, but no vegetables.
0:16:38 > 0:16:39What kind of pigeon is this?
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Is this the kind of Trafalgar Square type pigeon,
0:16:42 > 0:16:45or is it a really special pigeon?
0:16:45 > 0:16:46This is squab pigeon.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49- Squab?- Yeah, this is like a happy little plump pigeon,
0:16:49 > 0:16:53and the meat is quite tender compared to a wood pigeon,
0:16:53 > 0:16:57which has its own merits, but today we are using squab.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59I absolutely love pigeon.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02And so, I think, did Queen Victoria, because, actually,
0:17:02 > 0:17:07this recipe is in her own handwriting,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10so she was obviously very, very keen on it.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13It just seems incredible, you couldn't imagine,
0:17:13 > 0:17:17you know, a queen sitting down to write a recipe!
0:17:17 > 0:17:19- You just can't imagine it. - Well, actually,
0:17:19 > 0:17:23there's a bit of a connection to one of the great mysteries of her time,
0:17:23 > 0:17:27because she had a chef, a German chef, in fact, or Prussian,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30he would have been then, called Daniel Ott,
0:17:30 > 0:17:34and around about this time, he was mysteriously killed.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36Nobody really quite knows what the story is.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38He was killed in some sort of brawl
0:17:38 > 0:17:41and it was a terrific kind of scandal and mystery at the time.
0:17:41 > 0:17:46And around about this time was when Queen Victoria actually wrote this
0:17:46 > 0:17:48recipe down in her own handwriting.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52The speculation is that she kind of wrote it for whoever succeeded this
0:17:52 > 0:17:56poor Daniel Ott fellow, her chef, her personal chef who was killed.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00- So what are you doing?- Um, I'm just, er, there's a bit of pepper in here,
0:18:00 > 0:18:03- a little bit of salt to season the meat, and some flour.- Yeah.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07This will really help to thicken the sauce when it's cooking.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09My pan is just about hot enough now.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12That's a beautiful rump, isn't it?
0:18:12 > 0:18:14Yes, it's a good piece of beef.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18Again, you want to cut it into bite-size pieces.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21- Why are you taking all the fat off? - Well, there's sinew on top of that.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25- Aah.- So I'll put this into the pan when I go to sear it as well so you
0:18:25 > 0:18:27get the lovely flavour of the fat.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30But we won't be putting it in the pie...
0:18:30 > 0:18:34You just want to make sure all your meat is coated in the flour.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37- Tip it into our pie dish. - MEAT SIZZLES
0:18:37 > 0:18:39Ooh, listen to that!
0:18:39 > 0:18:42- Smells delicious.- I'm just checking here with Queen Victoria's recipe to
0:18:42 > 0:18:44make sure you're on track here, Anna!
0:18:44 > 0:18:46- Thank you, Michael! - Aah, look at this.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50"Cut off the pinions and the necks of pigeons.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52"Gizzards, livers in the centre."
0:18:52 > 0:18:54- Would you do all that? - I would love to do all that,
0:18:54 > 0:18:57- but I didn't think you would like to eat it today, Michael. - No, maybe not.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59It doesn't sound that appetising, does it?
0:18:59 > 0:19:04- Pinions, gizzards, liver... - I think it sounds delicious!- Aah!
0:19:04 > 0:19:08I think in Victoria's time people were keener on the kind of innards
0:19:08 > 0:19:09- of animals, weren't they?- Yeah.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14And entrails and heart and liver and lights and all that kind of stuff.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17- So we'll just essentially flash-fry that.- Yes.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21Just to kind of get the flour on the outside of it cooked onto it.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23This is a demi-glace,
0:19:23 > 0:19:27so it's a very rich kind of flavoursome stock.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31- Pour that in.- Oh, yeah!
0:19:31 > 0:19:35And the last of our flour I think we should pop in there, as well.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37I wish you could be here for the...
0:19:37 > 0:19:41- ..for the smell.- Mm.- Pity you can't get smell on television!
0:19:41 > 0:19:42Not yet, not yet!
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Oh, wow. That's terrific.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46A little bit of a stir. It does smell delicious.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49It does.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51Now, is that bit of fat going to go in, as well?
0:19:51 > 0:19:55No, I'm going to take the fat out but I'm just going to scrape all of
0:19:55 > 0:19:57the goodness off the bottom of the pan.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59- The lot, hey? - That's just the best bit.
0:19:59 > 0:20:00- It does look good.- Yeah.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03- And then?- And now we're going to add the bone marrow.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06- So...- Getting it right out of the centre of the bone there.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09That's it, yeah. I just think this is a more interesting way of making
0:20:09 > 0:20:12the pie more rich as opposed to adding butter.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14So this was obviously Queen Victoria's favourite,
0:20:14 > 0:20:18but we don't know about our present Queen and whether she likes...
0:20:18 > 0:20:20..likes pigeon. Actually, a bit unfortunate, and a bit tasteless,
0:20:20 > 0:20:22really, but she's actually
0:20:22 > 0:20:25patron of the Royal Pigeon Racing Association,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28so I wonder if she eats pigeons, as well!
0:20:28 > 0:20:31- I'm sure she... - That's why we don't know!
0:20:31 > 0:20:33I'm sure she doesn't eat racing pigeons!
0:20:33 > 0:20:36No, well, that's true, that's true! That's all right, then. OK!
0:20:36 > 0:20:39So here I have some shortcrust pastry that I made earlier on.
0:20:39 > 0:20:47This is 300g of flour, 180g of butter, one egg, a pinch of salt,
0:20:47 > 0:20:52a spoonful of cold water, and you have a nice shortcrust pastry.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55- So I'm just going to roll this out. - So, how thin do you roll it out?
0:20:55 > 0:20:59Um, probably to about a half-centimetre I would say would be kind of thin enough.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01Just a little bit of flour.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03- I love a pastry top to a pie!- Yeah.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06OK. So I'm going to put this on top of our pie.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08- OK.- So first of all,
0:21:08 > 0:21:12I'm just going to put a little bit of egg wash on top,
0:21:12 > 0:21:17so this is what's going to help the lid stick to the pie dish.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19- OK.- And then I'm going to use this...
0:21:19 > 0:21:21- Plonk it on top? - Well, you've got to...
0:21:21 > 0:21:25- Oh, no?- If you're not careful, the pastry might tear...
0:21:25 > 0:21:27- So I'll just gently... - So you always roll it up like that?
0:21:27 > 0:21:29- ..roll it up.- Oh, that's ingenious.
0:21:29 > 0:21:30And then roll it back...
0:21:30 > 0:21:33I love it when you pay me a compliment, Michael!
0:21:33 > 0:21:34HE CHUCKLES
0:21:34 > 0:21:36- OK...- There we go.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39You can just imagine Queen Victoria licking her lips at this sort of thing!
0:21:39 > 0:21:43I think she liked her food, Queen Victoria, one way or another.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46- Her table manners were not that marvellous, though.- Oh, really?
0:21:46 > 0:21:51No, no, apparently there was a number of senior politicians who
0:21:51 > 0:21:54have left odd notes saying she used to eat very fast,
0:21:54 > 0:21:57and she didn't make very much conversation!
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Maybe she didn't like their company!
0:21:59 > 0:22:01Well, I suppose that's possible, that's possible.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Maybe she was just, you know...liked her food a little bit too much.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Her royal physician, Sir James Reid,
0:22:07 > 0:22:12he left notes about how she did suffer an awful lot of...
0:22:12 > 0:22:15..how can I put this, intestinal upsets, apparently.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18- Oh, dear!- That's probably because she ate too fast.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20- Didn't do enough talking.- Oh. - There we go.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24OK, so I'm going to cut a little hole in the centre of the pie,
0:22:24 > 0:22:28and this will release some of the steam.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30I'm just going to egg-wash the top of it.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33- So if you wouldn't mind popping that in the oven. - OK, at what temperature...?
0:22:33 > 0:22:34Aah! What temperature?
0:22:34 > 0:22:37- So, 180 degrees... - Of course, 180 degrees!
0:22:37 > 0:22:40For about 25-30 minutes, until it's golden brown.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42- OK, here we go.- OK.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47This pie has been resting for ten minutes now.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49- Aah...- Check this out.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51- Ooh!- It's very nice...
0:22:51 > 0:22:53Oh, that looks brilliant, doesn't it?
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Yeah. OK?
0:22:55 > 0:22:57And I'm going to serve it with some buttered cabbage
0:22:57 > 0:22:58and some buttered carrots.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02Yes, I was going to wonder when we were going to get any vegetables with this dish!
0:23:02 > 0:23:05That's it. I don't want you suffering from gout after this!
0:23:05 > 0:23:07And they are kind of wintry vegetables, aren't they,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10to go with the sort of heartiness of the pie?
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Absolutely, absolutely.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15This is something you want to have in wintertime.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17After going out shooting, do you think?
0:23:17 > 0:23:19- Is it that kind of thing? - I think so, yeah!
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Ooh... Now...
0:23:21 > 0:23:23Oh, this smells amazing!
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Some lovely buttered carrots...
0:23:28 > 0:23:30- Cabbage... - And not too cooked cabbage.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33My grandmother used to cook cabbage for days!
0:23:34 > 0:23:36- I hated it.- So there you have it.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38Victoria's pigeon pie
0:23:38 > 0:23:41with some buttered carrots and buttered cabbage.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Well, like Queen Victoria, I think I might eat this fast.
0:23:44 > 0:23:45A delight, here we go...
0:23:48 > 0:23:50- Ooh!- Oh, it's hot, it's hot!
0:23:52 > 0:23:54Mmm! Mmm!
0:23:54 > 0:23:56That's really rich.
0:23:59 > 0:24:00- It's bursting with flavour.- Mm.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06It's so gamey. I mean, you can really see why Queen Victoria was so
0:24:06 > 0:24:10determined that even though her royal chef had been bumped off,
0:24:10 > 0:24:13that she was still going to get her pigeon pie!
0:24:15 > 0:24:17A hearty, rich pie.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20What a lovely, dainty dish to set before the queen!
0:24:25 > 0:24:28The royals are known to partake of a pie now and again,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31with pork pies a particular favourite.
0:24:31 > 0:24:36But a pie doesn't get more British than when it's filled with succulent beef!
0:24:43 > 0:24:45Just around the corner from Balmoral Castle,
0:24:45 > 0:24:50thriving in the Scottish Highlands is a very fine breed of beef cattle.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56Anna Haugh went along to cast an expert eye...
0:24:58 > 0:25:01As a chef, I like to know where my ingredients come from,
0:25:01 > 0:25:03especially when it comes to meat,
0:25:03 > 0:25:06which is not a bad thing when I get to come to beautiful places like this!
0:25:10 > 0:25:14Stephen Allardyce is the third generation of his family to rear
0:25:14 > 0:25:15beasts on these lands.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23- Stephen, hi, how are you?- Hi.- Hi!
0:25:23 > 0:25:27It's so beautiful here, and these cattle, these jet-black cattle,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30- tell me about them.- The Aberdeen Angus, as we see here,
0:25:30 > 0:25:36originated back in 1879 from Aberdeen doddies and the Angus hummlies.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40They both were black and both were polled, no horns,
0:25:40 > 0:25:42so that's why we've got our Aberdeen Angus of today.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45So, do they thrive well in Scottish weather?
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Yes, they do, yes. They acclimatise to it.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51They've got thick coats in the wintertime and they lose that winter coat,
0:25:51 > 0:25:55as you can see they've got the summer coats, which keeps them cooler.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58What do you feed the cattle, in the winter, when you don't have the grass?
0:25:58 > 0:26:00- In the winter, we make hay and silage.- Mm-hm.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02We've also got a by-product from the distillery called draff.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04So if it's a by-product of whisky,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07does it mean the cows could get drunk on their feed?
0:26:07 > 0:26:09If they could get drunk, so would I!
0:26:09 > 0:26:12You'll be eating the cattle's feed!
0:26:12 > 0:26:13No, there's no alcohol in it!
0:26:19 > 0:26:20Who do you supply your beef to?
0:26:20 > 0:26:25The local market and also the local butcher who supply the royal family.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27That must feel quite special, no,
0:26:27 > 0:26:29that the royal family could be eating your beef?
0:26:29 > 0:26:31Yes, it satisfies myself.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35- It's something to put on my CV! - Yeah!
0:26:37 > 0:26:41Aberdeen Angus cattle have a long association with the royal family.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47The Queen Mother was patron of the breed society from 1937.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50Prince Charles has now taken over that role.
0:26:53 > 0:26:58So it's no surprise that this beef is in demand when the royals visit Balmoral.
0:27:00 > 0:27:05Butcher John Sinclair regularly supplies the castle's kitchens.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11So is this Stephen's beef?
0:27:11 > 0:27:13Yes, it is, actually. It's a piece of rib of beef.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15As you can see, nice marbling on it.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Yeah. Would the royals eat a cut of beef like this?
0:27:18 > 0:27:20Yeah, that would probably be their Sunday roast.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Maybe they would take the whole piece for the family, yeah.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26Lovely. So have any royals actually come into the shop?
0:27:26 > 0:27:28The Prince of Wales has been in. The Queen has been in, as well.
0:27:28 > 0:27:29- Wow!- Yeah.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Then we've had the Duke of Edinburgh in, as well.
0:27:32 > 0:27:33We've had Camilla in.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36- Aye, we've done well with royals. - Yeah.- Yeah.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Did they come in for anything in particular?
0:27:39 > 0:27:43Well, obviously, they phone down for their orders,
0:27:43 > 0:27:46but they do look at the stuff that's on the counter.
0:27:46 > 0:27:47The Duke is quite partial to barbecue, as well.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51- Has he tried the Irn-Bru and pork sausage that you do?- Not yet.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54But maybe this summertime, I might pop one up and try it.
0:27:55 > 0:28:00Their top-quality meat graces the royal table and the royal grill.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04But they also provide Balmoral Castle with prize-winning pies.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10John runs the company with fellow butcher Barry Florence.
0:28:14 > 0:28:19So tell me how you won this award for the best pie.
0:28:19 > 0:28:24The butchers' federation run regular competitions and we entered
0:28:24 > 0:28:28and we were lucky enough to become the champion.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30Wow! That's wonderful.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36Two of their pies have been honoured at the British Pie Awards.
0:28:36 > 0:28:37One of them is - what else
0:28:37 > 0:28:42but a steak pie made with Stephen's Aberdeen Angus.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44And why do you think you won it?
0:28:44 > 0:28:46We start with quality product.
0:28:46 > 0:28:51- Nothing is made in huge batches and everything is handmade.- Yeah.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54And I just make stuff I like to eat myself.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57- Yeah.- And it obviously did the trick and we won the prize.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00It smells amazing.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02So do you know if any of the royals
0:29:02 > 0:29:05have actually eaten your award-winning pie?
0:29:05 > 0:29:09Well, we know there's award-winning pies gone up to the castle.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13But you don't know whether they're going to the royal table or not.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17And so I suppose the answer would be they possibly have.
0:29:19 > 0:29:24The shop holds not one but two Royal Warrants.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26It's a testament to all involved.
0:29:26 > 0:29:28There we are. Nice, even rise.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30They look incredible.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36I wouldn't be surprised if the royal family did enjoy them.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39Thanks a million. Thank you.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43After all, who could resist succulent beef encased in a pie?
0:29:56 > 0:29:59They go back a long time, these meat pies in this country.
0:29:59 > 0:30:00They go back to the 12th century,
0:30:00 > 0:30:05and I didn't know this but apparently in the early, early days,
0:30:05 > 0:30:07in medieval times, you didn't eat the crust.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09You'd take it with you to work or something.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13It was just a matter of transporting the meat or the beef inside.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16- Which would be a shame.- I'm just picturing all these guys who work
0:30:16 > 0:30:18in the City heading into work
0:30:18 > 0:30:20with their pies. I don't think that would work nowadays.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24But the royals and pies, the history goes back and back and back.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28Elizabeth I, she was the first monarch, apparently, to have a fruit
0:30:28 > 0:30:31- pie.- Mm.- Because normally it used to be meat in the Middle Ages and
0:30:31 > 0:30:35everything, but she had a pie with cherry inside.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37Elizabethan cherry pie.
0:30:37 > 0:30:39God, I bet that was delicious.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42Today's royals are no different from Elizabeth I
0:30:42 > 0:30:46in enjoying a succulent, fruity pudding.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50One royal chef was tasked with putting a different twist on a
0:30:50 > 0:30:53classic British pudding for a very special occasion.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59In the heart of the City of London,
0:30:59 > 0:31:04Indian executive chef Cyrus Todiwala runs an award-winning restaurant.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11He's not only been honoured with an OBE for his services to the British
0:31:11 > 0:31:15food industry, he's also served pudding to the Queen.
0:31:15 > 0:31:20I had the great fortune of being the chef to cook the first-ever luncheon
0:31:20 > 0:31:22for the Diamond Jubilee.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26This meant that we had to plan a menu that could not be all British,
0:31:26 > 0:31:28but had to have a British influence.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30That's exactly what I wanted.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34Cyrus baked Indian-inspired bread and butter pudding
0:31:34 > 0:31:37with a sloe gin and plum syrup.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39It was a big hit with Her Majesty.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43So what I'm going to do first is, of course, stew my plums.
0:31:43 > 0:31:47So I put my pan a bit on heat.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50Pour the sloe gin inside.
0:31:52 > 0:31:53And with that, a bit of sugar.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01And then I start with the plums, OK?
0:32:04 > 0:32:07So, all we are doing is just trying to make neater segments, OK?
0:32:07 > 0:32:12You can chop it up, you can square it up, you can do what you like.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16Cyrus adds his carefully sliced plums to the gin and sugar to create
0:32:16 > 0:32:18a delicious, fruity syrup.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21While it's simmering, he makes a start on the bread.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24Crust out, crust in, your choice.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27For the luncheon, we did take the crusts off.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29We didn't keep the crust. Come on.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32She's the Queen! You don't want to give her crusts, do you?
0:32:33 > 0:32:35Liberal buttering. OK?
0:32:35 > 0:32:38And it will mess up my hands a little bit because I'll butter
0:32:38 > 0:32:40on both sides of the dish.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43I'm just covering as much of the dish as is possible.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45You see, I'm just covering it up.
0:32:45 > 0:32:50So I've got this plum and orange marmalade.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54And just dot it wherever you feel like.
0:32:55 > 0:32:59Adds a bit of colour and it definitely adds a lot of flavour.
0:32:59 > 0:33:00I'm going to sprinkle some of these
0:33:00 > 0:33:03raisins, white raisins.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07A few nuts in between.
0:33:09 > 0:33:10OK. There we go.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17When the plums are translucent yet still hold their shape,
0:33:17 > 0:33:20Cyrus sets them aside to cool.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22Now for the custard.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25He lightly beats eight whole eggs and three yolks and
0:33:25 > 0:33:31adds clotted cream, double cream, evaporated milk, sugar and vanilla.
0:33:31 > 0:33:38Do not make the mistake of licking when you're scraping vanilla off.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40Honestly, it will destroy your taste buds.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42To achieve an Indian twist,
0:33:42 > 0:33:47Cyrus adds ground cardamom and a splash of rose water.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50All we do is pour a layer of this over.
0:33:51 > 0:33:56And while we get ready with the next set of bread slices,
0:33:56 > 0:33:58this will hopefully soak in.
0:33:58 > 0:34:04Now, I'm going to actually divide the slices into triangles.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06You, my dear sir, go that way.
0:34:07 > 0:34:13Naturally, Her Majesty's PA was very concerned.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16He was worried about the luncheon because that has spices in it,
0:34:16 > 0:34:22and he was not confident that I would not put chilli into it,
0:34:22 > 0:34:25because Her Majesty does not eat chilli.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28And it was tasted by the royal chef
0:34:28 > 0:34:32and he said it was perfect
0:34:32 > 0:34:35and his boss would be very happy with that.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39Cyrus pours the custard over the layers of bread and pops the pudding
0:34:39 > 0:34:44into a preheated oven at 200 Celsius for ten minutes.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48He then lowers the temperature to 160 degrees and bakes for a further
0:34:48 > 0:34:51- five.- So whilst the lunch was going on, of course we were all nervous.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54You cannot walk up to Her Majesty and ask,
0:34:54 > 0:34:56"Madam, how was the lunch today?" You can't do that.
0:34:56 > 0:35:02But, of course, the Lord Lieutenant is my secret informer at the time
0:35:02 > 0:35:04and I stood in a corner and I looked at him and he
0:35:04 > 0:35:05looked at me and did that.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09He just nodded. And I said, "Thumbs up, it's looking great."
0:35:09 > 0:35:14After the lunch, before the royal couple had to depart,
0:35:14 > 0:35:18he came into the kitchen and said, "Cyrus, can you get your entire team ready?
0:35:18 > 0:35:21"Her Majesty would like to personally thank everybody."
0:35:21 > 0:35:22And that was fabulous.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25We were not expecting that, but she is very gracious,
0:35:25 > 0:35:27as everybody knows,
0:35:27 > 0:35:30and we all lined up and she came and met each and every one of us.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32The Duke of Edinburgh met every one of us.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36And it was a great celebration.
0:35:38 > 0:35:42Once it's cooked to perfection, it needs to be left alone for an hour.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48The last thing you want, of course, is to dig into it straightaway,
0:35:48 > 0:35:50regardless of the temptation.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52After it's cooled, Cyrus plates up
0:35:52 > 0:35:55his Indian-influenced British classic.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58Wow. See the lovely texture there?
0:36:03 > 0:36:07So here's our very special, royal bread and butter pudding,
0:36:07 > 0:36:12served with plums, stewed in sloe gin, very traditional, of course,
0:36:12 > 0:36:15and lots of bread and butter.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28The current royal family certainly enjoys a good old British pie.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32It's a tradition that seemingly goes back hundreds of years to when a
0:36:32 > 0:36:38Tudor king was reported to have his fancy tickled by a sweet pastry.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45- What are you cooking now? - Maids of honour tarts.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48Little, flaky kind of lemony custard tarts.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50Sweet little tarts.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52And they have a bit of a story behind them, as well.
0:36:52 > 0:36:57You start, because these tarts might have changed the course of English
0:36:57 > 0:36:59history, if the story is true.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01- If the story is true, yes. - If the story is true.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04And the story is that Henry VIII was visiting his wife,
0:37:04 > 0:37:07Catherine of Aragon, at Hampton Court Palace,
0:37:07 > 0:37:10and he was in the grounds and there were the ladies-in-waiting,
0:37:10 > 0:37:12the maids of honour.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16- That's right.- And they were eating these sweet little pastries.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19And one of the maids of honour came and offered one of the sweet little
0:37:19 > 0:37:21- pastries to Henry VIII. - And who was she?
0:37:21 > 0:37:25And her name was Anne Boleyn.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27- That's it.- Dot, dot, dot.
0:37:27 > 0:37:28And these maids of honour,
0:37:28 > 0:37:31apparently they were the only ones who ate these tarts.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33So they made them themselves, as well.
0:37:33 > 0:37:40And I'm just pressing in discs of puff pastry into this nonstick
0:37:40 > 0:37:43cupcake tin and then I'm going to get on and make the mix.
0:37:43 > 0:37:49So first of all with the mix, I'm going to cream some butter
0:37:49 > 0:37:51- and some sugar together.- Yeah.
0:37:53 > 0:37:54OK.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56And I'll put my sugar in, as well.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58Yeah. And some eggs?
0:37:58 > 0:38:00No. First of all, I'm just going to cream this together.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02- OK.- So you've got to have a bit of patience, Michael.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06- It goes in stages.- I know, I'm just anxious to see and taste what
0:38:06 > 0:38:09Henry VIII saw in this, or maybe he just saw it in Anne Boleyn.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11But isn't it kind of fascinating,
0:38:11 > 0:38:15the idea that this recipe was made so many years ago?
0:38:15 > 0:38:17Yeah. And by the ladies of the court themselves,
0:38:17 > 0:38:19not by chefs or anything like that.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21Yeah. Well, they were the only ones who were allowed to eat them,
0:38:21 > 0:38:25apparently, until King Henry VIII got his hands on them.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29- Right.- So I just want to keep mixing this together until it kind of goes
0:38:29 > 0:38:31a little bit like more of a creamy colour,
0:38:31 > 0:38:36and this will lighten up the butter so that when I go to add the eggs
0:38:36 > 0:38:39- and the other ingredients, that they'll mix in a bit better.- Yeah.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44And, of course, after he'd eaten the tart,
0:38:44 > 0:38:45he fell for Anne Boleyn.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47He got rid of Catherine of Aragon.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50He broke with the Pope, the Reformation,
0:38:50 > 0:38:53dissolution of the monasteries.
0:38:53 > 0:38:58And it was all, according to the story, down to a sweet little tart.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01Though whether you think that was the pastry or not...
0:39:01 > 0:39:03Ooh!
0:39:03 > 0:39:06- OK, what next?- As you can see, it's changed colour.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10It's gone a bit paler. So that's about time now to add in our egg.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15- So I'll just give that a little mix. - You're very dextrous, aren't you?
0:39:15 > 0:39:17You've kind of almost got a backhand with that whisk.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19Well, you know, I'm just skilled, you know.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21It's years and years of training.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23OK, so in goes the flour.
0:39:23 > 0:39:28- So modest! What's that? - And the nutmeg.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30It's such a versatile spice.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32I love it because you associate it with pastry,
0:39:32 > 0:39:34but then it goes so well with things like scallops.
0:39:34 > 0:39:39- It can be really nice.- And nutmeg has a sort of almost medieval feel
0:39:39 > 0:39:41- to it, don't you think?- Yes, yes. - A taste to it.
0:39:41 > 0:39:42It's a real Tudor spice.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45- Yeah, that's right.- Must have been very valuable in Henry VIII's day.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49- I imagine.- Well, I'd imagine any spices back in Henry VIII's time
0:39:49 > 0:39:52- would have been seen as such a luxury, yeah. - Coming from the Far East.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55- Absolutely.- OK, and last, well, not last, almost last,
0:39:55 > 0:39:58our curds are going to go in.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00- Now, what's that? - This is just curds.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02Cheese curds. Give that a good stir.
0:40:04 > 0:40:09- You need a bit of brawn for this, don't you?- Well, you know.- I know!
0:40:09 > 0:40:11It's all the gym working out.
0:40:11 > 0:40:12So last...
0:40:14 > 0:40:17You're very careful not to get any of the white stuff from the lemon in
0:40:17 > 0:40:19- there.- That's because it makes it kind of bitter.
0:40:19 > 0:40:24As opposed to the lovely kind of perfumey smell of your lemon zest.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26There was a chef, apparently, I think,
0:40:26 > 0:40:31who came up with this originally for the maids of honour to actually do.
0:40:31 > 0:40:36And the King, again, it's said, it's a story,
0:40:36 > 0:40:37had him locked up in the tower so
0:40:37 > 0:40:40that nobody else should get the recipe.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42My goodness. Imagine somebody doing that today.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46Yeah, I mean, everybody... You know, people tend to think of him as a
0:40:46 > 0:40:49- jolly old boy.- Well, to lock somebody up for a cake, you know...
0:40:49 > 0:40:52I think he did worse things, but anyway.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54OK, so we're going to spoon our mix now into...
0:40:54 > 0:40:57- I thought you were going to offer that to me.- I'm afraid not, no!
0:40:57 > 0:40:59This is delicately measured.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02I need all of it. So just a nice heaped teaspoon.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04You're not really filling it up, are you?
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Well, the thing is that the puff pastry will rise and also the mix
0:41:07 > 0:41:09has got flour in it and eggs.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12- That will puff out.- So it's all going to expand.- Exactly.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14- You will soon find out.- OK.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16Actually, it takes me back to being a kid again,
0:41:16 > 0:41:20hoping that there would be some left by the time you get to the ninth...
0:41:20 > 0:41:23I'm imagining little Michael as a young boy,
0:41:23 > 0:41:24hovering around the pastry bowl.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27- That's quite a nice image. - Yeah, nice image.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31And sugar was a rarity then, wasn't it?
0:41:31 > 0:41:36You know, I mean, it's only really rich people who could afford sugar
0:41:36 > 0:41:38- at all.- Absolutely.- Unlike today.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41I mean, I think an awful lot of these ingredients are things that we
0:41:41 > 0:41:43kind of take for granted nowadays.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46OK, so if you wouldn't mind popping these into the oven for me?
0:41:46 > 0:41:49That would be great. So it's 180 degrees.
0:41:49 > 0:41:50Now, they are small, but they take a while.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52- How long?- 25 minutes.
0:41:52 > 0:41:56Well, I don't know if I can wait that long, Anna.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58Well, Michael, you don't have to.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00We have some ready and waiting for you.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06- I knew you wouldn't let me down. - I wouldn't let you down.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09- Look how much they've puffed up! - Yes, I know.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11Only a teaspoon of mix.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13It's beautifully brown on top.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15That would be the sugar and the almonds inside it.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17Yeah, of course, yeah.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19And do you serve them as they are,
0:42:19 > 0:42:22or do you do something really fancy with them?
0:42:22 > 0:42:24That's it. That's how they would have been eaten before.
0:42:24 > 0:42:29OK. Well, you play Anne Boleyn. And I will play Henry VIII.
0:42:29 > 0:42:33Hang on a second. I need to stuff something up my jumper, don't I?
0:42:33 > 0:42:36Come on. Oh, my pretty maid!
0:42:36 > 0:42:38What's your name and what are you doing after the ball?
0:42:38 > 0:42:40Mmm!
0:42:41 > 0:42:44Ooh! That's lovely.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46That's really nice.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49- Mmm!- Mmm.- That's really good.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53There's a real sweetness on the top.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57- And a lovely flakiness of the pastry.- Absolutely!
0:42:57 > 0:43:00Mmm!
0:43:00 > 0:43:05The little tart that changed the course of English history.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08That's it for today. Join us next time.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11Mm!